Biography of Charles NeilSolano County, CA Biographies

CHARLES NEIL.
Among the men who are closely identified with the fruit interests of Solano county is Charles Neil, who has for
a number of years been district manager for Solano county for the Earl Fruit Company, one of the largest fruit
raising interests in this section. Mr. Neil was born in Pennsylvania on the 7th of October, 1867, and is a son
of Joseph and Martha (Darling) Neil. When our subject was but one year old the father brought his family to California,
making the trip by way of the overland trail, with ox team and covered wagon. He located at Cordelia in 1868 and
remained there until 1884, when he came to the Vaca valley.

Charles Neil received his educational training in the public schools of Cordelia and Vacaville, and at the age
of sixteen years he began working on neighboring ranches. On attaining mature years he engaged in business on his
own account, establishing a meat market, and later he went into the hardware business in Vacaville. Eventually,
however he turned his attention to the fruit business, and he is now the owner of one of the finest fruit ranches
in the Vaca valley, comprising one hundred and ninety acres of good land in the English hills, north of Vacaville,
the property being at one time a part of the old Palmley and Hartley ranches. The land is planted to early fruit,
which is successfully grown without irrigation, and it is one of the most productive ranches in the valley. In
addition to managing his own ranch, about ten years ago Mr. Neil became manager for Solano county for the Earl
Fruit Company, which has about two thousand acres of fruit land, owned and leased, in this county, and a fine,
well equipped packing plant in Vacaville. Mr. Neil has proven himself eminently qualified for this responsible
position, and he enjoys a high standing throughout the county. He is a director of the First National Bank of Vacaville
and gives his support to every measure or enterprise calculated to advance the interests of the community along
any line. Fraternally he is a member of the Vacaville lodge, Free and Accepted Masons.